Monday, July 18, 2016

Riddle Me This? Just how many Batmobiles are there?

The original 1960's Crime Fighting Batmobile
created by the late King of Kustom, George Barris. (Source: Bing.com Images)

Ah, it must be Summertime, eh? As what Mid-season points
battle? Since isn't this when all the B-I-G' SCREEN Summer Blockbusters come
out...

Y'all know that 'Ol Bruce Springsteen song
'bout 57 Channels and NOTHING On! Which is exactly how I feel towards myCRAPOLA comca$'s television service!
Especially since the wait between Indy, having missed Belle Isle's
"Double" and then sitting thru not one, but two days 'O Rainout at
Texas...

Thus, Thanxs to our Florence Friends, I was
reminded of Jay Leno's Garage Show for which I hadn't watched a single episode
of until the June 22nd episode featuring Cop Cars, Batmobiles, Ghostbusters
Ambulance Chasers and some sort of armoured personnel military vehicle...

With Jay doing some pretty hokey voiceovers,
along with rubbin' elbows with the LAPD's Chief, Dan Ackroyd and Whoa Nellie! A
cameo with Adam West, with the piece de la resistance being Jay and Adam going
thru a Drive-thru and eating hamburgers in the original Batmobile!

As I had NO idea
that Adam West was still fightin' crime; Hya! As an Octogenarian, and BAM!
BIFF! SLAM! SMASH! Just learned that this Crime Fighter was born in Walla
Walla, Washington NO less!

And while I enjoyed Jay reminiscing with Dan
Ackroyd and getting time to talk briefly 'bout that legendary Blues Brothers
movie, along with his other hit Ghostbusters, I was more intrigued over the
Batmobile segment instead.

Naturally, although I couldn't SEE IT! Due to
my rapidly diminishing eyesight... Whilst as Leno mused how the whine from the
latest version's transmission was a bit excessive! Nonetheless this got me to
ponderin' just how many different iterations of the Batmobile of TV and Movie
fame exist? Since after all this is a Car Guys' Blogsite - meaning I'm only
interested in working full scale versions, excluding replicas.

Although I was
previously unawheres' that a second 1960's Batmobile complete with one of
Ford's legendous' 427 Big Block V-8s prepared by Holman & Moody NO less! Had
been built as an exhibition Drag Racer, for which "Wild Bill" Shrewsberry was apparently famous for doing Smoke-laden Wheel-stands
with!

Batman TV Show (And Movie)

Batman: Adam West

Robin: Bert Ward

Years: 1966-68

Surely the original 1960's Batmobile is the
most famous and well known version of all, for which I won't try recounting all
of its gizmos, i.e.; nose-mounted cable chain cutter, Detecta-scope, Batfone and
dual rear parachutes to aid in making quick 180-degree turns...

Being heavily featured during the TV Series
three seasons on ABC, for which 120 episodes were produced. Also in 1966, Leslie H.
Martinson directed a feature film involving the same
cast members.

Yet, if you know anything about this most
iconic Bat-fighter mobile, then surely Y'all know it was produced by the late
King 'O Customizers, nee George Barris, who wisely leased the car to the movie
studios after having converted the 1959 Lincoln Futura which he'd purchased
from FoMoCo' (Ford Motor Company) for the outlandish sum of $1.00 and then
crafted the Batmobile upon it's flanks in a miniscule three weeks!

As Barris, who retained ownership of the car
throughout his life, decided at age 87 to sell it, where it fetched an
astronomical four plus million dollars at the Barrett Jackson auction in 2013.

In 1989, Tim Burton revived Batman to the B-I-G' Screen for Warner
Brothers as the movies Director and Producer, which starred Michael Keaton as
the Caped Crusader, opposite his nemesis The Joker, appropriately played by
none other than "Here's Johnny's" Jack Nicholson, with Kim Basinger
of Nine Weeks fame playing Viki Vale, a reporter attracted to Bruce Wayne while
trying to prove he's Batman.

Along
with the all new set designs, reportedly of an Art Deco theme, naturally the
bubble-top dual open cockpit Batmobile of 1960's fame was completely updated to
modern standards, becoming a very low-slung, long and sleek canopy coupe instead.

As this new, modern Crime Fighter machine was
built atop a 1985 Chevrolet Impala with a Chevy V-8 powertrain, and retained
the "JATO" Rocket' assist afterburner for maximum speed.

Batman Returns

Director: Tim Burton

Batman: Michael Keaton

Year: 1992

Michelle Pheiffer

For 1992, Tim Burton reluctantly agreed to
direct his second and final Batman movie after Warner Brothers reportedly gave
him more "Artistic Control" over the movie, which saw Michael Keaton donning
his cape one final time. Now fighting against such criminals as The Penguin,
played by Danny De Vito and Catwoman played by Michelle Pfeiffer; MEOW! As this
is the last Batman movie I recall watching, as how can I ever forget Catwoman,
eh?

Presumably the same second generation Batmobile
was utilized in this movie, and subsequently retired afterwards, residing now
in Los Angeles in the Peterson Automotive museum.

Batman Forever

Director: Joel
Schumacher

Batman: Val Kilmer

Robin: Chris O'Donnell

Year: 1995

The third major incarnation of the Batmobile,
as scarily I'll use 'RASSCAR, or is I-T Corvette Bodywork numerology slang? As
I'll denote this Batmobile as the GEN-3' chassis which truly represented Movie
Studio customization.

For which I'm 86% certain believing I've never
seen this version. And now having 'Lucy, my ARSE-Steamed Screen-reader read me
the plot, I'm 99% certain I've never seen it! Due to the starring cast
including Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carey, Chris O'Donnell and Nicole Kidman.

As funny how
whenever I think of Val Kilmer I immediately picture him in Top gun as
"Maverick's" adversary, opposite Tom Cruise who once was married to
Nicole Kidman...

This "GEN-3" Batmobile features
custom vacuum-Bag-form bodywork being molded out of carbon fibre. Having been upgraded
to include Kerbside Shin Breakers along with grappling hook technology enabling
it to climb walls!

The car retained it's now surely de riggour
Afterburner propulsion with the main powerplant being upgraded to a
"Bowtie" (Chevrolet) ZZ3 V-8 displacing 350 "Cubes."

Batman and Robin

Director: Joel
Schumacher

Batman: George Clooney

Robin: Chris O'Donnell

Year: 1997

After the "Boy Wonder" takes the
previous GEN-3 Batmobile out for an unauthorized joyride, the car is ultimately
destroyed by The Riddler.

Hence,the GEN-4 Batmobile arrives in this movie, which reputedly critics
panned as the worse Batman movie produced! Whilst if I'm understanding the
car's technical features correctly? It only contains a single seat cockpit?
Which seems quite odd since the film includes Batman and his Sidekick.

Having learned
this is correct, with thou Boy Wonder scampering round Gotham City Solo upon
his motorbike! Although it's still STIR-RANGE to me that they'd be forced to
utilize separate vehicles...

Batman Dark Knight Trilogy

Director: Christopher
Nolan

Batman: Christian Bale

Years

2005: Batman Begins

2008: Batman Dark Knight

2012: Batman Dark Knight Rising

Batman v Superman

Director: Zack Snyder

Batman: Ben Affleck

Year: 2016

Know absolutely nothing 'bout the three Dark
Knight movies, nor the latest episodefeaturing a clash of Super Heroes in Batman v Superman, which I think is
the Batmobile Jay Leno drove the latest Caped Crusader's film director Zackary
Snyder around in on the Jay Leno Garage episode which sparked this whole BAM,
SMASH, BIFF! Wacky story.

And it seems a 'Wee bit odd to Mwah that
Batman would switch to some sorta Crossover SUV/Offroad vehicle, as this
Tumbler mobile utilized in all three Dark Knight movies sounds like a sappy nod
to thou Pornification 'O Militarism fever sweeping Thy Nation...

As the actual driving versions utilized a
5.7-liter V-8 Chevrolet motor for which apparently six were built at a pretty
steep price 'O $250,000 apiece! While other scale model versions were utilized
along with the contemporary use of CGI, nee Computer Graphic Imaging.

Now supposedly, the latest Batmobile, which
would be the GEN-6 edition in this Uber clever numerology scheme, is reportedly
a cross between the Tumbler's Offroad utilitarianism and the previous sleek low
slung Speedster of the past...